I'm so glad HBO repeats all week. It's hard to take it all in on just one viewing.

My favorite scene was Cersei and Littlefinger. It was interesting visually too, with the overhead viewpoint -- it was like a dance when her guards moved back and turned around. "Power is power." Heh. But it's telling that she needs guards. Second favorite scene was Cersei and Joffrey -- the slap and Cersei's fear. Third favorite was Sansa playing Joffrey like a fiddle and saving that guy's life.

I saw the first episode, but I think I'm going to try and catch it again on HBO tonight as I was a bit dozy the first time around. I thought it was well done, especially the bit with Cersei and Littlefinger.

1. Tyrion wins.
2. Tony Way was miles better than I expected.
3. Daenerys' horse went down on its left side with its legs to the right. Subsequent scenes showed it on the right with its legs to the left.
4. Really like that wild(er) woman with Brann and Hodor. She's awesome.
5. Lady with lots of fire - Melissandre?
6. Stannis... um... is he Robert's brother? Oh, so he is.
7. Dunno who the Davos bloke is, either.
8. Oh, Honour rears its head in the Baratheon (Right?) house.
9. Old bloke going nuts, obviously up to something. Oh look...
10. "Yer grace" "Yer grace" "Yer grace"
11. Direwolves look okay. A little too CGI, but not bad.
12. Littlefinger = WIN.
13. Knowledge is Power. So, so, so true.
14. Stuff I kinda didn't wholly get 'cos I forgot everything. Just talk of amassing an army. Which one's Renl(e)y?
15. Still hate Joffrey. Wanna punch that little brat in the face.
16. Repeatedly.
17. Without mercy.
18. Don't speak to your mother like that!
19. Lol, he squeaks still!
20. Bloody hell, she's loud.
21. Oh wow. Whoa. What?!
22. Ohhhhhh, I get it now. They're looking for that blacksmith. Why the baby slaughter?
23. Arya!

So, yeah, pretty good I thought, but I kinda hoped Brienne would be in it.

The baby slaughter is because all of those kids together form the backbone of Ned, Stannis and Jon Arryn's position that Joffrey is an incest bastard. They were all Robert's bastards and not a one of them had the blonde hair thing happening.

I give the episode 9.5/10. It lost half a point because that girl was very loud.

The baby slaughter is because all of those kids together form the backbone of Ned, Stannis and Jon Arryn's position that Joffrey is an incest bastard. They were all Robert's bastards and not a one of them had the blonde hair thing happening.

I enjoyed the episode, but I didn't love it. Too many short, choppy scenes. There's so much information to cover that it's starting to feel like the show is being told in shorthand -- the characters speak a couple vital things and then off to another scene.

This might get me cyber-crucified by the uber-fans, but I think this show needs to cut back the plot with a battleaxe. A great book can get away with some loose sideplots that end up meaning little-to-nothing in the grand scheme, but a mini-series like this suffers when it tries to cover too many bases. Better scriptwriters, imo, would have nixed several of these storylines from the start and focused on those that really mattered.

This might get me cyber-crucified by the uber-fans, but I think this show needs to cut back the plot with a battleaxe. A great book can get away with some loose sideplots that end up meaning little-to-nothing in the grand scheme, but a mini-series like this suffers when it tries to cover too many bases. Better scriptwriters, imo, would have nixed several of these storylines from the start and focused on those that really mattered.

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I said the exact same thing going home from our little GoT-party but no one seemed to agree with me. I am one of those uberfans, of the books at least, but I can clearly see your point.

That said, I really think things are starting to heat up now, I firmly believe S2 is going to top S1 as long as they can keep the story tight.

My favorite scene was Cersei and Littlefinger. It was interesting visually too, with the overhead viewpoint -- it was like a dance when her guards moved back and turned around. "Power is power." Heh.

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Absolutely, this.

ETA: I had intended to not watch the series anymore, as I didn't think I'd be interested - but the show's opening was rolling along with it's little clockwork models and, well, glued to the tube I was.

I've just finished watching it. Overall reaction - high class. Once again, absolutely stellar work by the design and effects and photography people; the Red Waste looked genuinely worrying - I would NOT fancy a long stroll in there, thanks - and Grey Wind was absolutely bloody terrifying. It looks as if the many fears expressed by posters here that the direwolves were going to be sold short in the TV show can be set aside. That panoramic shot of King's Landing was very impressive too, albeit it still remains rather different to how I pictured it from the books (but at least it is consistent with s1's look).

Dinklage was on top form - he really convinces in his warmth to the young Lannisters, while clearly having an absolute ball in his new job. His delight in making Cersei twitch was joyous.

Gripe: I'm not too keen on the performance of Stephen Dillane as Stannis, at least not on this showing. Stannis should be stern but sharp, nobody's fool; and I'm afraid foolish is exactly how he came across to me. He just seemed petty and rather clueless, instead of the hard imperious fanatic I expected. I shall watch that performance with interest as the weeks pass.

Oh yes - Sophie Turner and Jack Gleeson absolutely set the screen alight in their scenes together. Her fragile wounded dignity and his someonekillhimNOW depravity really sparked off each other. This storyline is going to be SO good.

I enjoyed the episode, but I didn't love it. Too many short, choppy scenes. There's so much information to cover that it's starting to feel like the show is being told in shorthand -- the characters speak a couple vital things and then off to another scene.

This might get me cyber-crucified by the uber-fans, but I think this show needs to cut back the plot with a battleaxe. A great book can get away with some loose sideplots that end up meaning little-to-nothing in the grand scheme, but a mini-series like this suffers when it tries to cover too many bases. Better scriptwriters, imo, would have nixed several of these storylines from the start and focused on those that really mattered.

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Said the same thing this morning to my co-workers.

They have way to much to cover and way to many story lines but I do get that they had to get them all off and running. They did manage to keep it entertaining and compelling but they are walking a fine line if this keeps up. We could end up having a season of plot points, soundbites, cliffs notes, or whatever you'd like to call it.

Gripe: I'm not too keen on the performance of Stephen Dillane as Stannis, at least not on this showing. Stannis should be stern but sharp, nobody's fool; and I'm afraid foolish is exactly how he came across to me. He just seemed petty and rather clueless, instead of the hard imperious fanatic I expected. I shall watch that performance with interest as the weeks pass.

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Me too. He didn't make much of an impression in this episode.

I think he suffers from tunnel vision, and an inability to compromise. Why not let those people keep their old gods? Good leaders know how to compromise, and it doesn't seem like he understands that.

I loved Dany's decision to send out riders, to see what they could find, instead of just wandering Moses-like. I couldn't help but think of some of the stupid things the characters did in The Walking Dead, and how much better that show would have been if those people had a leader like Dany.